Journey of Stars
by heavenly.rook
Summary: Eight cats, two from each of the four Clans, have been chosen to leave their Clans forever. They have been summoned by StarClan to take a perilous quest to build their own Clan far from where their family and friends live. Each have doubts that what they are doing are right, but more importantly, they all possess strong faith for their warrior ancestors.
1. Allegiances

**ALLEGIANCES**

 **THUNDERCLAN**

LEADER **FOXSTAR** **—** small ginger tom with a long, fluffy tail. **APPRENTICE, KESTRELPAW**

DEPUTY **WHITEWHISKER** **—** black tom with long whiskers

MEDICINE CAT **SUNSTEP** **—** pale golden she-cat with white patches and blue eyes

WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)

 **FLOWERSTORM** **—** beautiful white she-cat with slender paws. **APPRENTICE, LIONPAW**

 **NIGHTSHADOW** **—** grey tabby with dark stripes

 **MOONFLIGHT** **—** silver tom with white patches and blue eyes

APPRENTICES (more than six moon old, in training to become warriors)

 **KESTRELPAW** **—** grey tom with white paws and an unusually long tail

 **LIONPAW** **—** pale golden tabby she-cat

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

 **MEADOWFALL** **—** white tabby she-cat

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

 **DUSTCLAW** **—** black tom with grey flecks across his flank, the oldest cat in ThunderClan

 **MOUSETAIL** **—** small tom with brown fur and a long, thin tail

* * *

 **SHADOWCLAN**

LEADER **DARKSTAR** **—** brown tabby she-cat with pale green eyes

DEPUTY **TALONCLAW** **—** broad-shouldered tom with ginger pelt

MEDICINE CAT **JAYWING** **—** black tom with fluffy ears. **APPRENTICE, MINTCLOUD**

WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)

 **DAWNFUR** **—** beautifulblack she-cat with one grey paw and blue eyes. **APPRENTICE, BLACKPAW**

 **CLOUDSTORM** **—** white tom

 **TALLSHADOW—** slender brown tom with long legs. **APPRENTICE, SWIFTPAW**

APPRENTICES (more than six moon old, in training to become warriors)

 **MINTCLOUD—** white she-cat with silver flecks and bright green eyes

 **BLACKPAW** **—** black tom with a white tail

 **SWIFTPAW** **—** tortoise-shell she-cat with a white paw and chest

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

 **LEAFPELT** **—** brown tabby she-cat, blind

* * *

 **WINDCLAN**

LEADER **FEATHERSTAR** **—** slender black she-cat with a white muzzle

DEPUTY **WHISPERHEART** **—** handsome tom with creamy-coloured fur and white paws

MEDICINE CAT **WHITEWING** **—** tortoise-shell she-cat with white spots

WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)

 **LEOPARDFOOT** **—** golden tom with unusually large paws

 **STORMFANG** **—** grey tabby tom. **APPRENTICE, BREEZEPAW**

APPRENTICES (more than six moon old, in training to become warriors)

 **BREEZEPAW** **—** small grey she-cat with a fluffy tail

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

 **GINGERFANG** **—** ginger tabby she-cat with white paws

* * *

 **RIVERCLAN**

LEADER **SILVERSTAR** **—** longhairedsilver tabby tom

DEPUTY **BROWNFUR** **—** brown tom with fluffy ears

MEDICINE CAT **NIGHTFOOT** **—** grey tom with black paws

WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)

 **HAILCLAW** **—** pale grey she-cat with unusually broad shoulders. **APPRENTICE, NETTLEPAW**

 **ADDERTAIL** **—** shorthaired white tom with grey and brown patches

APPRENTICES (more than six moon old, in training to become warriors)

 **NETTLEPAW** **—** black and white tom with green eyes


	2. Prologue

PROLOGUE

The near-full moon was high when two cats padded out from the shadows cast by thick trees and into the open space where six other cats waited. Their presence was immediately recognised and though there was some distrust and hostility in their eyes, there were no sudden movements.

"About time," one of the waiting cats rasped. "We thought you would never make it, Foxstar."

A small ginger tom dipped his head. "Apologies, Silverstar, but I'm here now."

The silver tom turned his head pointedly away and Foxstar led his companion to sit with the others, closing the circle that had been incomplete with their absence.

"Now then, we should get started," said a tom with fluffy ears nervously. "I suppose all of us have experienced the same dream from StarClan?"

A murmur of agreement passed through the group and they all exchanged worried looks. The golden she-cat who had arrived together with Foxstar bowed her head solemnly.

"I had hoped that it simply wasn't true," she mewed with her eyes downcast. "Until Foxstar came to consult me with the same dream."

Foxstar pressed his nose to her cheek before turning back to the others. However, before he could say anything, a black she-cat jumped to her paws with her fur bristling with fury.

"Mouse-brains!" she hissed. "Whether or not we had the same dream matters not. What StarClan asks from us is impossible!"

"Featherstar! You can't be saying you doubt what StarClan says, can you?" another she-cat, tortoiseshell, hissed back in shock.

At her words, the WindClan leader's bristled neck fur lowered and she stepped back with remorse. "Sorry, you're right, Whitewing," she said softly, bowing her head at her Clan's medicine cat. She turned back to the other cats. "Each clan's leader and medicine cat came here for a reason and I'm afraid there's no getting around it anymore."

"Your frustration is understandable," replied Foxstar softly. "Especially since it is your own daughter who is among the chosen."

Featherstar nodded solemnly and the golden she-cat stretched her muzzle to touch her nose to her shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that, Featherstar, but my brother has also been chosen," she mewed, her blue eyes filled with equal sorrow and sympathy.

The slender she-cat met the ThunderClan medicine cat's gentle eyes and nodded with understanding. "Thank you, Sunstep. But why has StarClan sent such an important message to us, rather then the cats that have been chosen to leave us?"

A brown tabby she-cat, who had only been listening until now, finally broke her silence. "When the cats that first led the four clans to our current home, they were called by StarClan without the will of the leaders," she said in a near whisper.

"Darkstar makes a fair point," said the black tom with fluffy ears beside her. "Perhaps they first consulted our leaders and medicine cats this time because they don't intend for these cats to return."

"This is mouse-brained," growled Silverstar, but his eyes betrayed the fact that he had already accepted the harsh truth and no cat argued against him.

"It truly is," said his medicine cat with a sigh, his head lowered as his black paws kneaded the earth.

"At least they will have a medicine cat with them, unlike the first cats," said Darkstar, sounding as though she were forcing herself to find optimism in their situation. "StarClan has chosen Jaywing's apprentice from ShadowClan to make the quest."

"She is a bright cat," murmured Jaywing, shaking his head. "I hoped that she would succeed me soon, but it looks like I'll have to take another apprentice before I can think about retiring."

"Don't worry, we'll make sure that your new apprentice will receive equal advice from the rest of us," said RiverClan's medicine cat gently, touching his tail to the much older cat's shoulder while the other medicine cats murmured their agreement.

"Thank you, Nightfoot," said Jaywing with a grateful purr before turning back to the others. "When will these cats be expected to leave? We will have to tell them soon, won't we?"

"Tomorrow will be full moon," mewed Whitewing as she lifted her eyes to the sky. "We should bring the chosen cats for their last Gathering and then tell them."

"The deputies can take the Clans back to camp while we consult the chosen warriors," added Nightfoot with a flick of his ears.

"ThunderClan's chosen are Moonflight and Kestrelpaw," muttered Foxstar under his breath, his eyes fixed to the moon above. "It will be Moonflight's first and last Gathering as a warrior and my own apprentice, Kestrelpaw, will never be welcomed by all four Clans as a warrior of his own right."

"It will be my daughter, Breezepaw's, first Gathering too," said Featherstar sombrely. She usually looked so proud and confident in front of the other Clan leaders, but now at the prospect of not only losing her own kit but also her most trusted companion, she suddenly looked much older and tired than she usually did. "But at least Whisperheart will be with her. He is a strong and brave warrior and I would have hoped that he would become WindClan's leader one day, but it looks like I'll have to choose a new deputy afterwards."

Darkstar flicked her tail to her shoulder sympathetically. "ShadowClan will be in deep grief to lose such a talented medicine cat like Mintcloud," she said. "And my own sister, Dawnfur, will be among those who will journey with the rest."

"As will my sister, Hailclaw, and her apprentice, Nettlepaw," added Silverstar, his earlier hostility gone without a trace now. "Though she was both born from an earlier litter, we still share the same blood and I will miss both greatly."

The eight cats all bowed their heads before finally standing wordlessly and padding out of the clearing, each into the direction of their own clan.


	3. Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

With the full moon looming overhead, Moonflight did his best to mingle with the other Clan cats. Excitement ran through his pelt like fire and he thought proudly of how long he had waited for this night, to be introduced to as a new warrior at the Gathering with all four Clans present. The trees shivered as a breeze descended upon the cats gathered below and he swept his gaze around the clearing, noting that only ShadowClan was together with ThunderClan on the island where the Gathering took place. It was only early, but he could tell his leader, Foxstar, and the ShadowClan leader, Darkstar, were impatient to begin as they waited on different branches from the tree where the Clan leaders addressed the Clans. He couldn't imagine why, but when he felt a warm body press itself against him, he turned his attention away.

Seeing that it was his sister, Sunstep, he purred and rubbed his cheek against hers. Though they were from the same litter, Sunstep had succeeded as ThunderClan's medicine cat far earlier than any apprentice had ever been expected to, but despite that, she was well received for wisdom well beyond her age. She was clearly popular and she usually didn't have time to spare to be with him at Gatherings.

"Are you excited?" she murmured as she twined her tail with his, pressing her golden pelt into his silver. "You've finally received your warrior name, after all."

"Of course," replied Moonflight with satisfaction, their identical blue eyes glinting in the darkness. "But I can be patient for a while longer until RiverClan and WindClan arrive."

As soon as the words slipped from his tongue, a yowl echoed from the direction of the tree bridge that connected the island to the territories, announcing RiverClan's arrival.

"It seems you won't have to be too patient," mewed Sunstep with amusement, before breaking away to greet the grey tom, Nightfoot, that was RiverClan's medicine cat.

Moonflight watched her leave, marvelling at how her golden pelt shone even under the limited glow of the moon. He saw Silverstar, the RiverClan leader, leap up the tree to join the other leaders before glancing around to see if he recognised anyone to talk to. Meeting the eyes of a ShadowClan she-cat, he stood up to join her and she met him half way.

"I heard you received your warrior name," she said as they touched noses in greeting, her pelt rippling as she purred. She was completely black, apart from her single grey paw.

"That's right, I'm Moonflight now," he replied, sitting down beside her. "How have you been, Dawnpaw?"

"That's Dawn _fur_ to you," she growled back in mock fury, swiping her only grey paw at him. "Did you think I would remain an apprentice while you became warrior?"

Moonflight purred in delight and flicked his tail to her shoulder in apology. There was another yowl and moments later, WindClan swarmed to mingle with the other Clans. Featherstar, a slender black she-cat with a white muzzle leapt up onto the lowest branch and pressed her nose to Darkstar's in greeting. With the four Clans present, Foxstar nodded down at the two she-cats before standing on his branch and summoning every cat's attention with a yowl. Though he didn't stand beside any of the leaders, he was clearly the smallest, sizing around the same as an apprentice.

"The Gathering will now begin," he mewed before glancing up at Silverstar who was on a branch higher. "Silverstar, will you start?"

The longhaired silver tom nodded and stood, his tail flicking. "All is well in RiverClan this moon," he said. "Yesterday, one of our warriors, Hailclaw, chased out a fox who had been trying to hunt on our territory. Don't worry, it didn't move onto ShadowClan territory, and went for the mountains behind our territories."

Darkstar nodded in acknowledgement and the cats called out Hailclaw's name in approval of her bravery. Joining in, Moonflight stretched his neck, trying to get a glimpse of the much larger grey she-cat. He had never once spoken to her, but he knew of her well, living up to equal bravery and strength as her brother, the RiverClan leader. She was clearly popular amongst the other Clans too, and Moonflight barely caught sight of her fluffy tail before she disappeared amid a throng of bodies.

Once the commotion died down, Darkstar stepped forward. "ShadowClan's medicine cat apprentice has received her name from StarClan," she began, nodding to a pretty silver tabby she-cat at the roots of the tree. "She is now named Mintcloud."

The Clans once more joined together to call out Mintcloud's name and Dawnfur pressed her muzzle closer to Moonflight's ear to be heard. "This has to be the loudest Gathering we've had yet," she murmured in amusement. "ThunderClan will also be presenting a warrior. I wonder if WindClan will have anything to offer?"

Moonflight mirrored her amusement with a purr, drawing his tongue over his chest. He glanced expectantly up at Darkstar, knowing she hadn't yet finished if Dawnfur was to be announced as a new warrior too.

"ShadowClan also has two new warriors," continued Darkstar, her pale green eyes glinting with pride as she gazed down at the cats below. "Tonight, I present to the Clans, Dawnfur and Cloudstorm, as warriors who have proven their right as warriors on numerous occasions."

Raising his yowl to be heard above the rest, Moonflight chanted Dawnfur's name as the black she-cat dipped her head in both embarrassment and pleasure.

"Thank you, Darkstar," mewed Foxstar as she sat down and he stood up to address the Clans. "ThunderClan also presents a new warrior tonight, Moonflight!"

By now, every cat's throat was dry with yowling the names of so many warriors. Moonflight held his chin up with confidence as his name bounced from the trees and echoing up to StarClan. He felt a rustle beside him and glanced over to see Sunstep press herself against him, her blue eyes shining with delight as she yowled his name as loudly as she could.

At last, the final leader, Featherstar of WindClan, stepped forward. "To add to this Gatherings bounty of liveliness, I happily present Breezepaw, WindClan's newest apprentice who has already displayed evidence that she will become a distinguished warrior in her time."

Moonflight raised his yowl once more, ignoring the soreness that had developed with every yowl and turned his gaze to see the small grey she-cat. She was sitting only several cats down from him with her mentor, Stormfang, her tail fluffed with excitement. Finally, the Gathering was over and Moonflight stood up to press his nose to Dawnfur's in farewell. Her eyes reflected the excitement of their first Gathering as warriors, though their throats were too hoarse to say anything more.

However, before they could turn away, Sunstep stood between them and set her tail on Dawnfur's shoulder and her nose to Moonflight's flank.

"Wait," she said and nodded to where the leaders were leaping down from the tree. "The leaders want to have a word with you both."

Exchanging a glance, Moonflight and Dawnfur followed her to where the leaders were waiting. ShadowClan's medicine cat, Jaywing, a black tom with fluffy ears, was there too with his apprentice, Mintcloud. Foxstar nodded to Moonflight as he arrived and Sunstep went to sit beside him. On the ThunderClan leader's other side, sat Kestrelpaw, a bright-eyed grey tom with white paws. Moonflight sat across from the leaders with Dawnfur. Glancing around, Moonflight took note of the other cats that were gathered together, wondering what it was that the Clan leaders had called them to discuss. Did it have something to do with why there hadn't been a single report of anything negative? His gaze stopped for a moment to Whisperheart, the young WindClan deputy who stood with regal beside Featherstar. They exchanged a nod, before Moonflight's gaze shifted to the tortoiseshell she-cat with white spots. Though he had never spoken to her, he knew that she was WindClan's medicine cat, Whitewing.

Three more cats came to join them as the rest of the Clans finally faded into the shadows. Breezepaw, WindClan's newest apprentice, immediately went to sit beside Featherstar, and Moonflight recalled that he had once heard of the WindClan leader bearing a single kit. Though the resemblances between the two she-cats weren't striking at first, they did share the same green eyes and white muzzle. Hailclaw and her apprentice, Nettlepaw, were the last to join the group and Moonflight marvelled, not for the first time that night, how large Hailclaw was for a she-cat. She had strong, broad shoulders, and her pale grey pelt glowed under the moon as she sat down. Her apprentice, Nettlepaw, was a black and white tom and was large enough to be a warrior. Moonflight suspected that by the next Gathering, he would have earned his warrior name.

"Alright, all of you are here," said Foxstar as Hailclaw and Nettlepaw settled down beside one another. He glanced around, exchanging a look with each leader and medicine cat before continuing. "The eight of us, leaders and medicine cats, have something to tell you."

Featherstar lowered her chin and nodded, though Moonflight couldn't help noticing with concern at the dark expression in her eyes. "My dear friend and deputy, Whisperheart, and my beloved daughter, Breezepaw," she mewed so softly that she was barely heard.

"My sister, Hailclaw, and her apprentice, Nettlepaw," said Silverstar gruffly, his pale eyes shining expressionlessly in the dim light.

"My newest warrior and brother of my gifted medicine cat, Moonflight," added Foxstar, his gaze steady as he met Moonflight's eyes before shifting down to Kestrelpaw. "As well as my talented, young apprentice, Kestrelpaw."

"And finally, my last and most treasured kin, Dawnfur, and my Clan's most cherished medicine cat apprentice, Mintcloud," said Darkstar with downcast eyes.

Moonflight felt his pelt prickle at the tension of the Clan leaders and the medicine cats beside them. For whatever reason they had called them together for, he couldn't help but anticipate it with both fear and curiosity. There was a heavy silence for only a moment before Foxstar finally raised his eyes to meet first Sunstep's and then sweep across the warriors in front of him.

"StarClan has sent us a prophecy," he finally mewed and the leaders and medicine cats all nodded as they looked up, as if from mourning.

"What is it?" asked Dawnfur, her deep blue eyes round with curiosity. "What does it have to do with us?"

Darkstar stepped forward and her next words sent shivers down Moonflight's spine. "The great Clans under StarClan will become one; together they will travel across lands for many seasons, to a land without Clans. Together they will revive the warrior code and together they will bring life to the spirits of lost warriors."


	4. Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

For a moment, there was complete silence as the words Darkstar spoke of reverberated throughout the clearing. Despite the weighted effect of the words, Moonflight could not make any sense of them. It was for this reason, that he felt more confusion than anything else and he peeked sideways at the other cats, hoping he wasn't the only one. Catching Dawnfur doing the same, they both exchanged glances and Moonflight then noticed that they weren't the only ones glancing warily at one another. Only Hailclaw, standing tall and proud as ever, gave the ShadowClan leader a cool, steady look.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her fluffy tail sweeping around her paws. "That sounds like a prophecy from StarClan."

"It is," mewed Darkstar in reply, bowing her head at the headstrong warrior. "StarClan sent this prophecy to the leaders and medicine cats from every Clan several days ago along with the warriors chosen to lead this quest."

"You mean us?" asked Breezepaw, her mew barely audible in the face of her seniors.

Featherstar lowered her head to touch the top of her daughter's head. "That's right, my dear," she murmured as she glanced around the circle at the other cats. "You and the other warriors who have gathered here."

"Then what about me? Why am I here if I'm a medicine cat?" demanded Mintcloud, her bright green eyes hard like stone. She narrowed her eyes as she glanced around the clearing, her eyes finally landing on her mentor, Jaywing. "You don't intend to push me into the warrior ranks, do you?"

"No, of course not," said Darkstar quickly before Jaywing could reply. "Mintcloud, you will be an invaluable part of the group as their medicine cat."

"Your role in StarClan's prophecy is of most importance," added Foxstar. "To not have you would make the quest impossible for the other cats."

"Well count me out," snarled the young she-cat, her tail flicking as she hunched her shoulders. "I belong to WindClan and I won't be lowering myself to travel and heal cats who aren't part of _my_ Clan."

"I hate to say this after she said something like that, but I agree," growled Nettlepaw, jumping up with his eyes shooting fire at Mintcloud. "I'm not leaving RiverClan, _especially_ since I'll be a warrior soon."

Silverstar looked as though he was about to say something, but Hailclaw interjected. "Me too," she mewed, her voice firm. "Nettlepaw deserves to be a warrior soon and I won't be told that my training hasn't been more than sufficient enough."

"No one says it has anything to do with your training," said Featherstar soothingly. "Nettlepaw will receive his warrior name in due time, but your quest must be completed first."

Nettlepaw narrowed his eyes at the WindClan leader and he lowered himself into a crouch as if to pounce on her, but Whisperheart, Featherstar's deputy, immediately pushed himself between the two cats.

"Wait," he said quickly, glancing between Nettlepaw and Featherstar. "I can understand your frustration, but the leaders must still have more to tell us. Featherstar, I have to say that I am more inclined to what he says. How can I leave WindClan now when I'm deputy?"

"Not to mention that prophecy sounds like mouse dung," added Mintcloud with an irritated flick. "It says we have to travel for _seasons_. You can't expect three apprentices to go for seasons without receiving their warrior name, right?"

"That's true," said Kestrelpaw, glancing apologetically up at Foxstar, as though he hadn't wanted to say anything against his mentor. "I know I've only had several moons of training so far and Breezepaw only just began hers, but by the time we reach our destination, all three of us will have gone past the time an apprentice usually stays an apprentice. By the time we come back, we would be apprentices for more than half the average time."

"And I bet the warriors will have a great time bossing us around," growled Nettlepaw, glaring specifically at Moonflight and Dawnfur, as though he expected the two to abuse their newly made status. "I won't have anyone except Hailclaw giving me orders!"

"Hey!" said Dawnfur, her fur ruffled with hurt. "Don't give us that look! It's not our fault you didn't get lucky and weren't made warriors before tonight!"

"Don't get cocky just because you're warriors and I'm not," hissed the black and white tom, his fur bristling. "I'll rip your pelt off before you can say your new name three time."

Moonflight felt Dawnfur bristle beside him and he quickly pushed himself between the two cats. "No one is doubting how well of a warrior you'd be, even if you're an apprentice now," he said hastily.

Foxstar stepped forward. "That's right, everyone please calm down," he mewed. "You all clearly have questions, but unless you give us the chance to answer, we'll be here all night."

Moonflight glanced warily around the clearing, noting that almost every cat had their pelts on end and that some even had their claws unsheathed. Mintcloud was waving her tail threateningly while her eyes were narrowed and flicking between every cat with distrust; Dawnfur and Nettlepaw were still glaring at each other with hostility crackling uncomfortable through Moonflight, who still stood between them; Hailclaw was still seated, but her broad shoulder were hunched and her eyes trained on Moonflight as though ready to pounce if her apprentice decided to cause a physical commotion; Breezepaw was pressed close to Featherstar and Whisperheart still stood almost protectively in front of the two she-cats, watching the others with clearly no intention of interjecting; and Kestrelpaw stood beside Foxstar, his ears twitching nervously as he anticipated a fight.

Finally, Silverstar stepped forward and pressed his nose to Hailclaw's ear, muttering something inaudible. Her ears flicked at him without shifting her gaze from both Nettlepaw and Moonflight, but she finally pulled her shoulders back and lifted her paw to draw her tongue over it. Seeing this, Nettlepaw drew back as well, giving a last, low hiss to Dawnfur before padding to sit back beside his mentor.

Lowering his tail in relief, Moonflight turned to Dawnfur, but recoiled to see fury in her beautiful blue eyes. She turned her head pointedly away from him and padded over to sit beside Darkstar who leaned forward to lick her cheek gently. Jaywing padded over to his apprentice and touched her shoulder with his tail before she sheathed her claws, though her eyes still maintained hostility. Bewildered, but relieved that there was no longer the imminent threat of violence, Moonflight crept to Sunstep's side.

"Alright then," said Featherstar when every cat had been calmed and pushed her way past Whisperheart, who then stepped back. "To answer Nettlepaw and Kestrelpaw's question, should we have Silverstar do that?"

The RiverClan leader dipped his head in agreement, stepping forward. "Nettlepaw, I can't deny that you would make a worthy warrior now, but you still lack much needed experience, which I'm sure Hailclaw agrees with," he glanced at his sister who nodded hesitantly. "I would have liked to keep you for a moon longer to assess you, however from this night forward, I am no longer your leader. None of the leaders here are leaders of the chosen warriors anymore and I'm afraid that refers to you too, Mintcloud."

The chosen cats were stunned into silence.

"Wait a moment," snarled Mintcloud, her claws slipping out again. She whirled to face Darkstar. "What did he just mean?"

"He speaks the truth," replied Darkstar, lowering her head to meet Mintcloud's eyes. "You cats are no longer part of our Clans. You cannot stay here any longer and you cannot come back."

"You belong elsewhere now, wherever StarClan takes you," added Foxstar, dropping his gaze to Kestrelpaw with undeniable sorrow in his eyes.

Moonflight felt his jaw slacken. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He felt Sunstep press her body against his. Feeling her tremble, he glanced down at her and wished he knew what to say. But he knew that even Sunstep believed StarClan's prophecy and he knew she was preparing herself to say goodbye forever.

"You can't be serious," he stammered, lifting his eyes to Foxstar. "But…I'm a ThunderClan warrior. If you say I'm not ThunderClan…then what am I?"

"What a mouse-brained question," hissed Mintcloud. "I'm nothing except ShadowClan and I will not let anyone tell me otherwise."

"Not even StarClan?" asked Jaywing, staring intently at her. "As a medicine cat who acts first on StarClan's behalf, do you really intend to fight against them?"

Mintcloud fell back onto her rump as though he had taken a heavy swipe at her. Her jaw hung open in shock, speechless, and Moonflight couldn't help but feel sorry for her in this instance.

"StarClan intends for the eight of you to find a new home for yourself," said Whitewing, stepping forward solemnly. "However, the four Clans cannot come with you. We belong here."

"B-but…so do we," squeaked Breezepaw, her voice trembling.

"No, you don't," said Featherstar, burying her nose into her fur, her eyes filled with pain.

Breezepaw flinched at her words and pulled away to press her small body against Whisperheart's. She shook her head in shock, but couldn't seem to say anything. Whisperheart lowered his eyes to avoid Featherstar's gaze, shifting his paws awkwardly.

"Silverstar?" asked Hailclaw quietly, and even she seemed to have lost the strength she had put so proudly on display.

The RiverClan leader met her eyes hesitantly and only nodded. Hailclaw lowered her eyes and turned her head away. Even Nettlepaw didn't have anything to say. Moonflight wanted to say something, but the trembling of his sister beside him had already confirmed his fears. He shifted his gaze to Kestrelpaw, who was kneading the earth with his white paws.

"No, I can't," mewed Dawnfur finally, her voice heavy with desperation. "I can't lose my only kin and littermate now after losing my mother so soon and I can't leave you by yourself!"

Darkstar met her sister's gaze, her eyes softening. "Oh, my dear Dawnfur," she said and she didn't say anything more as she stepped forward to bury her nose into Dawnfur's shoulder. Dawnfur plunged her nose into Darkstar's neck, her eyes closing. They styed together like this for a long time, but then, Darkstar stepped away, tearing the connection. "But you must leave," she whispered, pain colouring her voice and eyes. "You're destiny doesn't belong here."

Dawnfur looked as though she wanted to reach forward and bury herself into her sister again and for a moment, Moonflight felt as though he wanted to look away. He couldn't stand to see such pain in her eyes. As though the gesture between the sisters triggered something in every cat, they all turned to their loved ones, wrapping themselves together with their bodies and twining their tails together.

Moonflight pressed his body closer to Sunstep and he breathed her scent in deeply, as though trying to memorise it forever. A whine slipped from Sunstep's throat and she wrapped her tail around his. Hailclaw lowered her head as Silverstar rasped his tongue over her ears before turning to Nettlepaw and doing the same. Kestrelpaw glanced hesitantly up at Foxstar, who flicked his tail to his shoulder and drew his tongue down his back. Eventually, the cats all settled down in the clearing, sharing tongues with one another until the moon began to descend and the sun rose to meet the horizon.


	5. Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

Sunstep lifted her head as the sun rose, her eyes glistening as she watched it. The others had dowsed off, but were now rousing as the first rays of sun warmed their pelts. Newleaf was upon them, but there were still remnants of leaf-bare in the wind and Moonflight shivered as Sunstep rose, moving her warm pelt away from him. Foxstar was next to rise, shaking his dark ginger pelt in attempt to warm himself. Kestrelpaw, who had been pressed between Foxstar and Moonflight shivered and blinked his eyes tiredly around the island clearing. The island looked so different in day time, the trees less majestic as though the moon had granted them power on the night of Gatherings. Without the murmur of cats, Moonflight could hear the gentle waves of the lake as they splashed up against the edges of the island.

"You'll be leaving soon," said Sunstep as she looked up at her brother.

Moonflight met her gaze and the events of last night washed over him. He felt as though nothing had been explained to him and confusion still weighed heavily on top of him.

"We should hunt before that," said Silverstar gruffly, shaking his heavy pelt as he stepped away from Hailclaw and Nettlepaw, who had already awoken, but had not moved.

Darkstar nodded and padded away with Dawnfur and Mintcloud. The young medicine cat apprentice had her head and tail lowered and her ears pulled back as she trudged after the two she-cats. She was clearly just as confused as Moonflight, if not more. He felt sympathy for her, knowing her faith in StarClan was stronger than any of the chosen cats, but he also felt that her loyalties with ShadowClan ran deeper too.

"Come," whispered Sunstep to Moonflight's ear and flicked her tail to his shoulder.

Moonflight followed her out of the clearing and into the trees. Though the coverage here wasn't as thick as ThunderClan's, Moonflight still took a deep breath, wanting to take in as much of the forest before having to leave. Despite his doubts, he already knew that leaving was inevitable for him. Foxstar seemed adamant on StarClan's prophecy, but it was Sunstep's feelings that had truly convinced him. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to feel any pride or happiness. He couldn't keep his ears pricked enough to listen for prey and he struggled to lift his head high enough to scent the wind.

"Moonflight," said Sunstep and she stopped so abruptly, that Moonflight nearly ran into her. She turned to him and blinked her wide, wisdom-filled eyes at him. "How about we take some time to talk without the others before you have to leave?"

Moonflight stared at her for a moment and then flopped down on the soft ground with a weighted sigh. "Sunstep, I don't know what I'm going to do," he confessed without looking at her, his eyes trained on the ground between his paws. "I mean, I do know; I'm going to leave the forest and ThunderClan and I'm going to travel with cats I barely know. Except for Kestrelpaw, I won't be with any cat I know or love."

"Oh, Moonflight," whispered Sunstep as she sat down and drew her tongue between his ears. "I don't know how I'm to separate from you either…though we led different paths as warrior and medicine cat, I've never felt like we weren't together. I'm so scared of losing you."

"I thought you had already prepared yourself," said Moonflight in surprise, looking up at her.

"No amount of time will ever prepare me," she replied, touching her nose to his cheek. "And no amount of time will take away how much I will miss having you beside me, my brother."

Moonflight hesitated as he pressed himself against her. He suddenly didn't want to be pulled away from her more than ever now. It had been her certainty that had convinced him he had to leave, but now that she had voiced her feelings, he knew now more than ever that not only was his destiny really with StarClan, but that he would never feel complete without Sunstep with him. He wanted so desperately to stay, but he knew he couldn't. Sunstep was going through just as much pain as he was, but she had faith in their ancestors and Moonflight knew he would have to have that same faith.

"Sunstep," said Moonflight tentatively. "I'm going to miss ThunderClan and I'll never stop."

"I know," mewed Sunstep gently.

"I wanted to do so much," he continued. "I wanted to hunt and fight for my Clan for much, much longer. I wanted to get my own apprentice and find a mate. And…I wanted to watched Lionpaw get her warrior name."

Sunstep's eyes clouded with more pain at the mention of their sister from a younger litter. "I'm so sorry, Moonflight."

"And Meadowfall will be expecting a new litter soon," said Moonflight as though she hadn't said anything. Now that he was saying all this, he suddenly couldn't stop until all his thoughts had tumbled out. "We would have more little brothers and sisters and Whitewhisker would have been so proud to see us all become warriors."

Sunstep nodded as she listened, but he wasn't finished yet. "I would have hunted for seasons and you would have protected me from harm with your healing," he said, lowering his head onto his paws. "You would have helped my mate with her kitting and then we'd watch them grow and become warriors before we would both become elders together."

He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again and straightening into a sitting position. Sunstep rubbed the top of her head into his chin. A purr slipped out and they sat, shoulder-to-shoulder, for a long time with their tails intertwined before finally breaking apart.

"Everything will be fine in ThunderClan," said Sunstep. "We will all miss you dearly, especially Lionpaw, Meadowfall and Whitewhisker, but we will be fine."

"Please protect them all, Sunstep," whispered Moonflight.

She nodded and they both turned to pad further into the forest, without another word.

* * *

When the two returned to the clearing where Gatherings were held, only Foxstar, Kestrelpaw and the WindClan cats were present. Moonflight had half expected that they had been the last to return as they had taken their time to hunt even after their talk, but it seemed that they weren't the only ones who had wanted to talk in private. Featherstar and Whisperheart were pressed close together, exchanging words in whispers, while Breezepaw was finishing a starling in front of them, her paws touching her mother's. As Moonflight and Sunstep padded into the open, a mouse and a shrew each clamped in their jaws, Foxstar looked up from the vole he was sharing with Kestrelpaw and waved his tail to invite them to sit beside him. Sunstep nodded to Moonflight and he lowered himself beside his leader. To his surprise, Foxstar pressed himself closer. Only senior warriors had ever shared prey with the ThunderClan leader and Moonflight had never been able to compare his size to his leader's much smaller frame. Even Kestrelpaw was growing taller than Foxstar, yet the ginger tom still radiated so much power that even Moonflight felt like a kit beside him.

"Moonflight, I will be sad to see you leave before you have even accomplished your first warrior task," mewed Foxstar as he looked into his eyes. He bowed his head at Moonflight and flicked his tail to his flank. "I knew both you and your sister would be destined for greatness when you had been born, not only because you were my deputy and my best friend's kits."

Moonflight dipped his head in acknowledgment at his words. He was stunned, yet very pleased at Foxstar's praise.

"Sunstep has already found her place as ThunderClan's medicine cat, but you have yet to find yours," continued Foxstar and then turned to his apprentice, who had been listening silently with his ears pricked. "Neither you nor Kestrelpaw, but you will both find it in the same place. Moonflight, I want you to look after Kestrelpaw in my place, even if it is too early to have your own apprentice."

Moonflight glanced at Kestrelpaw in shock, but the grey tom only dipped his head, accepting the change in mentorship. There was no formal ceremony, however Moonflight suspected that Foxstar still wanted to be considered official mentor before StarClan.

"In saying that, Kestrelpaw," mewed Foxstar, flicking his tail to his apprentice as he spoke. "I hope you will take Moonflight's guidance despite him being a young warrior."

"Yes, Foxstar," said Kestrelpaw and glanced at Moonflight, nodding.

"Good, that will make me worry far less," said Foxstar with a sigh. "I want the two of you to support each other in all the ordeals you will be facing away from ThunderClan. But the two of you must remember, that you are no longer ThunderClan and the others are no longer part of ShadowClan, WindClan or RiverClan. You must support them now as your new comrades."

Both Moonflight and Kestrelpaw were silent for a moment, but after exchanging a glance, they both nodded. Both knew that though they would take Foxstar's words with them, they would still take priority in each other.

Nodding, Foxstar bent to finish the vole he shared with Kestrelpaw and Moonflight chewed on his shrew. He didn't feel hungry, but he knew that neither Sunstep nor Foxstar would allow them to not eat before beginning their journey. The RiverClan and ShadowClan cats returned not long after and they all ate in silence before briefly sharing tongues. Too soon, the leaders then stood and beckoned for the others. They led them to the tree bridge and off the island, before turning into the direction of the Moonpool. Moonflight padded beside Sunstep and Kestrelpaw, while Foxstar was ahead with the other Clan leaders. As they skirted the lake beside WindClan territory, there was a clear division between the cats. Mintcloud padded shoulder-to-shoulder with her mentor, Jaywing, while Dawnfur was only a short way ahead with her eyes concentrated forward. Hailclaw and Nettlepaw pulled ahead of the others with the RiverClan medicine cat, Nightfoot, beside them, while Whisperheart, Breezepaw and Whitewing took the rear.

The sun rose overhead as they travelled up the river that bordered ThunderClan and WindClan territory and Moonflight wanted to stop and gaze into the trees one last time. But the leaders showed no sign of resting as they moved upriver and Moonflight could only glance forlornly across to the trees as he continued walking on WindClan territory. He caught Kestrelpaw doing the same and as they neared the Moonpool, he glanced back to see that Whisperheart and Breezepaw were lagging even further, as though they wanted to on their territory for longer. However, they eventually caught up with the others who waited at the mouth of the Moonpool's entrance.

"This is where we will leave you all," mewed Featherstar, her green eyes trailing the faces of all the chosen cats before stopping on Breezepaw. She stepped forward towards Whisperheart first, pressing her nose to his before turning to Breezepaw and brushing her pelt through hers. She then turned to bury her face into her neck and Breezepaw mewed pitifully as she licked her shoulder. Suddenly, Featherstar abruptly turned and sat a short distance away with her eyes trained on the ground.

Whitewing murmured something into Breezepaw's ears and licked her cheek before moving to Whisperheart and doing the same. She then nodded to the two of them and padded over to sit beside Featherstar. Silverstar looked uncertain at first, but he eventually nuzzled himself to Hailclaw before nodding to Nettlepaw and moving to sit beside Whitewing. Nightfoot touched noses with each cat before seating himself between Silverstar and Whitewing.

Darkstar stepped forward and bowed her head to Dawnfur. "May StarClan light your path," she whispered and touched her nose to Dawnfur's head before performing the same with Mintcloud and padding over to sit beside Featherstar.

"Remember all that I've taught you, Mintcloud," said Jaywing, his fluffy ears twitching as he looked down at his apprentice sadly.

"I'll miss you more than anything, Jaywing," mewed Mintcloud, her green eyes filled with emotion. "I won't forget a single thing you've taught, even if I complained about all of it."

The old ShadowClan medicine cat let out an _mrrow_ of amusement and licked her nose affectionately before flicking his tail to Dawnfur's shoulder and padding to Darkstar. Next was Foxstar, who licked Moonflight's shoulder and giving him a look that reminded him of his words on the island. He turned to Kestrelpaw and pressed his cheek to his.

"Become a warrior even superior than me," he said to him, looking up at his apprentice proudly. But when he turned away, his eyes betrayed his grief.

"I will, Foxstar," said Kestrelpaw after him, his head raised to appear stronger and more like a warrior than he felt.

Lastly, Sunstep pressed her cheek against her brother's one last time. "I'll make sure Lionpaw doesn't take your departure too hard," she whispered into his ear. "And I'll call her warrior name louder than any cat so that it's like your voice is with her."

"That would make me so happy," whispered Moonflight back, breathing in her scent as much as he could, as though he was trying to take it with him.

Nodding, Sunstep pulled herself away with much effort before burying her face into Kestrelpaw's fur. She then turned away and went to sit beside Foxstar, her eyes fixed on Moonflight.

"It's time," said Silverstar to the eight cats. "You will carry out StarClan's prophecy and triumph. I-I wish you all the best and may StarClan light your path."

Moonflight nodded to the RiverClan leader, a swell of respect suddenly washing over him as he watched the proud warrior stumble at nothing but the loss of his Clan members. The chosen cats clearly showed trouble in leaving, but eventually, Whisperheart stood up.

"Featherstar, I hope you will make Leopardfoot WindClan's deputy," he mewed.

Featherstar looked surprised at first, but then she nodded and took a step forward. "Then I'll do the deputy ceremony now instead of back at WindClan's camp," she declared, her eyes suddenly glistening as she looked at Whisperheart. "I say these words before StarClan and Whisperheart, so that he and the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of WindClan is Leopardfoot!"

"Leopardfoot! Leopardfoot!"

Every cat present yowled the name, though the warrior himself wasn't present to witness his own ceremony. But it seemed to have touched the former WindClan deputy's heart as he nodded to his former leader and turned away to pad further upstream, past the Moonpool. Breezepaw nodded to her mother with grief filling her eyes before scrambling after her Clanmate. Moonflight rose next, giving a last glance to Sunstep and Foxstar, before following Whisperheart. Eventually, the other cats followed and they began moving faster and faster, racing away from their former territories until the leaders and medicine cats were nothing more than specks in the distance.


	6. Chapter Four

When Whisperheart finally slowed down to a full stop, he turned back. The leaders and medicine cats of the four Clans were still where they had left them, but even when he tried to pick out which one had been his leader, he couldn't make out who was who. Lowering his head dejectedly, he turned back to see that the others had stopped too. They had all looked back, but he could tell that it only made it harder for them to turn away.

"Alright then," he spoke up nervously. "This is the first time we're all together without anyone else."

He tried not to flinch when seven heads turned to him, seven pair of eyes looking at him as though they expected him to know what to do. "Let's start off with introducing ourselves," he suggested quickly. "I know we all probably know each other by now from the Gatherings, but it's good to be more familiar with each other."

At first, he was met by silence, but then Moonflight nodded and stepped forward. "I'm Moonflight, I received my warrior name two days ago."

Trying to hide his relief that his suggestion hadn't been met with hissing and snarls, Whisperheart nodded gratefully at the silver tom with white patches. "And I'm Whisperheart, WindClan's former deputy."

"I'm Breezepaw," mewed his fellow Clanmate, lifting her tail bravely and Whisperheart purred with affection at her display. He had only been an apprentice when she had been born, but having Featherstar as his mentor at the time, with Leopardfoot as his temporary mentor while Featherstar was expecting kits, had made her feel more like kin than just another Clanmate. "I became an apprentice one moon ago, which makes me the youngest."

"Adding to that," said Hailclaw, her sharp amber eyes glistening in the sun. "I would be this group's most senior warrior, Hailclaw."

Whisperheart dipped his head to the powerful warrior, wondering if she wanted to lead the group. He had half expected to take lead as the cat holding the highest rank before leaving the Clans, but it was definitely true that Hailclaw not only possessed more experience, but was far stronger and courageous too. Perhaps that was what this group needed after all.

"I'm Nettlepaw, Hailclaw's apprentice," added the black and white tom beside her. "I won't be taking any orders from anyone else, got it?"

"Come on, no one mentioned ordering you around, so you don't have to bring it up," snapped Kestrelpaw, the grey tom next to Moonflight. "I'm Kestrelpaw."

Nettlepaw bristled and looked about to snarl a retort when Dawnfur, the beautiful black she-cat who had been with ShadowClan, stepped forward. "I'm Dawnfur, also a new warrior that was named around the same time as Moonflight," she nodded to the ThunderClan warrior before stepping back and beckoning her Clanmate to go next.

"And I'm Mintcloud," said the white she-cat with silver flecks, her eyes narrowed with distrust. "I'm a medicine cat apprentice—well I suppose I'm actually a medicine cat now."

She lowered her eyes and sank her claws into the soil. Whisperheart nodded to her hesitantly, knowing that she was the most important member of their group. Her skills would be invaluable and losing her could throw their entire quest into jeopardy.

"Alright, it's good to know you all then," he said quickly, but he knew that every one of them wished to be back in their camps with their other Clanmates. "I suppose there isn't much to discuss…"

"Wait a minute, of course there is," said Hailclaw sharply. "Don't tell me you've already decided to claim leadership. Just because you were WindClan's deputy doesn't give you control over the rest of us!"

Nettlepaw growled with agreement and even Dawnfur and Moonflight exchanged a look. Whisperheart kneaded the ground, trying to keep his fur from bristling. "No, of course not," he said cautiously. "But I had assumed we didn't need anyone in charge."

"Fox-dung," spat Hailclaw, her tail flicking. "If we don't have anyone in charge, then who's going to decide which way we're going and when we'll stop to hunt or sleep?"

"Actually, where are we going?" added Kestrelpaw anxiously, glancing around at their unfamiliar surroundings.

Whisperheart looked around too, noting that there wasn't much more to see except trees all around them. He felt restless, being enclosed from all sides with not even a peek of the sky through the leaves and branches. However, with Hailclaw bearing down at him with her amber eyes, he refused to show his unease.

"Look, we'll all decide which way we're heading and I'm sure Mintcloud will get hints from StarClan so we'll head straight from here until then," he decided. "We can do the same for hunting and we'll stop when everyone agrees."

"I'm telling you again, that's fox-dung," snarled Hailclaw. "We won't have any coordination like that. One of us has to take charge or we'll all be running around in circles."

Part of Whisperheart agreed with her, but he didn't want to admit that, nor did he want to nominate anyone. In fact, he didn't want anyone to be in charge except himself. The idea of following the orders of either the two new warriors or the stern RiverClan warrior made his pelt tingle with distaste.

"How about we rotate?" suggested Moonflight before Whisperheart could snap a retort. "The warriors can take turns each day to lead, starting with Whisperheart, Hailclaw, Dawnfur and then me."

Whisperheart and Hailclaw both stared at him for a moment. Hailclaw narrowed her eyes at him, as if she didn't like being put after Whisperheart and Moonflight shifted uncomfortably. Finally, she took a step back and nodded, licking her ruffled chest fur.

"Fine, this will be good enough," she said, but Whisperheart couldn't help but hear her unsaid words, _for now._

Dismissing the thought, he turned away and began heading deeper into the forest. The others fell behind him and Breezepaw padded up so that she walked beside him. She didn't say anything, but he knew her well enough to sense her worry.

"Don't worry," he murmured. "We'll look after each other."

Breezepaw looked up at him with wide-eyes, shining with relief and she padded on with her tail and head held high. "Where are we going?" she asked, still looking up at him.

"I have no clue," replied Whisperheart with a sigh. There was no point in hiding it, nor was there any point in lowering his voice. The others had just as much clue as he did of where to go or what they were to do. When there was not even a snort of disdain from Hailclaw, he knew he was right. "I think we should just head in this direction until we find something."

He glanced back to see what the others thought and only Moonflight nodded in agreement. Whisperheart suspected that Moonflight was doing more than just agreeing with him. The silver tom didn't seem to like the division between the cats and with a start, Whisperheart realised that they needed to act more one. He should have tried to compromise with Hailclaw, he realised now with shame. Fighting with her had only strengthened distrust instead of building trust. Seeing Moonflight walk together between Kestrelpaw and Dawnfur, he knew he had to try put aside his instinctual rivalries. Flicking his tail to Breezepaw, he slowed down a little so that he walked the same length as Hailclaw.

"Hey, I just wanted to apologise for just now," he said awkwardly, lowering his head as he walked. "I'm just a little nervous about leaving my home and travelling with cats I don't know."

Hailclaw looked surprised to hear his apology and for a moment, Whisperheart feared she would sneer at him. But then, she nodded and flicked her ears into his direction. "You're right, I'm sorry too," she said, dismissing a shocked look from Nettlepaw. "I think we all need to get used to one another now that we'll be basically Clanmates. Your idea to introduce ourselves was good, by the way."

Whisperheart lifted his head and purred his thanks. "And you were right about needing a leader, it would have been a lot more arguments if we had it my way."

Hailclaw _mrrowed_ with amusement and touched his shoulder with her tail. "I suppose sharing ideas wasn't too bad though. We should make sure we keep doing that."

Whisperheart nodded, relieved that their tensions had dispersed. He continued to walk together with Hailclaw and Breezepaw on either side of him, glancing back once at Moonflight and Dawnfur. The two looked less tense now that he had patched things up with Hailclaw. Whisperheart mused at how Moonflight had known to work together even before they had even taken the first steps of their journey. He would have to stop thinking of both him and Dawnfur as new warriors, barely out of apprenticeship. Even new warriors back in WindClan had always been treated with the same respect of any warrior and Whisperheart now realised that he hadn't done the same for those two, perhaps because they had been from other Clans.

Looking sideways across to Nettlepaw, he wondered if he would have to do the same for him. Despite being an apprentice, he was nearly a warrior and with no Clan leader, he couldn't receive his name. With a start, Whisperheart wondered how the apprentices would ever receive their warrior names. Neither he nor Hailclaw could ever perform the ceremony, but even if one of them had been a leader, would StarClan ever accept it? Was StarClan with them even now?

Doubt struck him as he continued on with the other chosen cats behind him. He wanted to believe in StarClan and he did, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't just leaving the four Clans behind, but the fifth one in the skies too.


End file.
